Ɵ

At night, she silently walks in the upper level of the dungeon, her slender legs pace is slow, her naked foot barely set at ease. She waves the cobweb blocking her way – highlighted by the moonlight above the broken ceiling.

She solely relies on her instincts as she walks gently. She halts as she saw not too far from the stairs a guard holding a torch as he goes down the floor. When the solid flames slowly fade into a hue and gone replaced by well-draped of the twilight, she walks faster.

She holds the nearby metal bar as the ground shakes, the broken pillars that hold down the fort cracked. She sluggishly walks for a few seconds until it was gone. She inspects every cell looking for someone, this comrade that Alastor is talking about, maybe worth it. He talks about her as if she’s reliable. Even though she might not be helpful she would still help her, she will try to help everyone as she can.

In every cell she inspects, they smell the same, the foul stench that hovers – reaching out of the premise, a mix of disturbing cells accumulated in the past years of dirt. Well, their room smells rot too, but not worse as these cells.

She grew impatient and move quickly from cell to cell, from row to row, until she found herself at the end of the corridor. She was hanged and was chained down to the point where her legs couldn’t support her weight anymore, restraining every limb. She instinctively looks at her chest. She was drawn back by the faint purple light pulsating under her shirt

Her lips trembled, her legs lose its strength and everything became blurred. When she looks from left to right everything seems to be distorted. She does not know who she was or what was she doing here as if her memories are slowly slipping to her consciousness.

Everything seems so vague at that time, not until her playful mind has taken her to another place. Looking below the mountain she saw a thousand flying armadas, machines that she’s not familiar with.

The birds that were once singing were interrupted by a long howl of a machine, it flew away and soon every monster spread out, away of the invaders. Somewhere above, the mightiest of all of them prepare its cannon, energy focuses on a single tipping point and it steams as if its reliefs. She looks back to see where it's pointing at. It was a city, but she’s unfamiliar with it. A dragon symbol-laden on the ship. The nose adjusted and let out screech coming from its engines, an ear breaking one.

The screeching stopped and silently takes place. Then, there’s a light hovering relentlessly, beaming, in a terrifying cry. The trees parted and burn. In an instance, the city she saw was erased in a blinding light.

She shuddered – her eyes are wetting as she frails and stumble on the ground. Her breathing became heavy, she clenches.

The city was no more. Barren – empty land was left after the upheaval. She felt as her stomach aches but a fraction of time. She looks down and saw flames stretching everywhere, the sky turns dark and the moon turns to blood.

Watching the smoldering ground, she couldn’t help but feel trapped.

Hope is lost and everything became grey just as the clouds darkening, stretching as far as her eyes can see.

Ɵ

She is sure, she heard someone gasping, a frightful one. She lifted her eyes and saw a woman – outside of her cell panting. She tried to move to help her but she forgot, she’s restrained by these heavy chains.

Unlike Alastor, Sherry was left here, chained, but she wasn’t tortured by them, only to feed her. She was remained in this kind of treatment to limit her movements. It seems they were afraid of her. Even if she tried to free herself, she knows to herself – that she is incapable of fighting.

She heard again another yelp. As of now, she is trembling, her arms are shaking as she covered herself while sprawled on the ground. Tears began to stream indifferently to her profusely sweating.

“You need to snap out of it!”

If she could just freely move, she would have slapped her by now.

“Hey, hey, breathe, breath.”

Her voice were soothing and reassuring.

She is unsure of what is happening to her, but she knew this is the right thing to do.

“Listen to my voice. You will be alright. Breathe, breathe.”

The girl did listen to her as she started to pull herself up. Her eyes had brightened and the tears on her cheeks glistered. She tried to maintain and her expressionless face but her expression sunk back to a whimper.

“What happened?” Sherry whispered.

“I saw visions.”

“What?”

She slowly shakes her head, “It doesn’t matter now.”

“Alright.” Sherry gulped, “Who are you, and do you know where are they taking us?”

“Apparently, no, but we have a plan to escape this place.”

“A plan?”

“Yes, a plan. Tell me, are you Sherry?”

“Is Alastor here?”

“He’s in the lower level in this dungeon.”

“I’m glad he’s safe.” Sherry sighed in relief. “It’s my fault why we are here. Is he angry with me?”

“No, I think not. He needs your help.”

“What could I possibly of use to him? I don’t know how to fight; I have never killed a person before.”

“He said to me that you’re special. You can do things that others can’t. He wants you to lead us, slaves, to escape.”

“I don’t know if he’s delusional or what, but I don’t have abilities that can help.”

“Believe.”

“What?”

“You just have to believe in yourself. It seems that you don’t know the position that we are in, so I’m going to tell you; they’re gonna sell us, they’re gonna kill us; or sell our organs in the black market and those kids don’t deserve that, do you get me?”

“Fine. Either way, I’m not gonna end in a good place. After all, there’s a family I must return. You said that I’m gonna lead the others to escape, what does he mean?”

Her lips twisted into a smile.